On Friday, Nov. 2, nearly 200 students from 10 schools in the London area will gather at Western for the French for the Future–London Local Forum. Held annually, the forum offers students a day full of activities that highlights the benefits of bilingualism through the acquisition of French. It also gives students enrolled in French immersion, core French and French first language programs the rare opportunity to meet up outside of school for a day entirely in French.
Under the theme Pratiquement bilingue/Practically Bilingual, students will take part in interactive workshops and presentations, which will inspire and guide them, and help them share their passion for the language in their own communities.
Andrea Lindsay, singer and song-writer, winner of the 2010 Juno Award for the Best Francophone Album, will be the event’s guest speaker. She will offer a musical performance and will talk about the importance of the French language in her personal and professional life.
Workshop animators include Lisette Leboeuf, journalist at Radio Canada Windsor; Thierry Bissonnette, writer and professor of literature at Laurentian University in Sudbury; Nicholas Moroz, French instructor at École de langue française de Trois-Pistoles/Cégep de Rimouski; Mario Longtin, professor at the Department of French Studies and director of the French theatre group L’On Donne.
Since 1997, more than a dozen French for the Future Local Forums take place in communities across the country, highlighting a national connection and interest in bilingualism. Moreover, each forum is organized by a local committee, ensuring that the region’s unique culture is represented.
This year, the London Local Forum is made possible through the support of Fincore Canada, the Department of French Studies and the Faculty of Arts & Humanities at Western, the École de langue française de Trois-Pistoles and the Lascaris family.